Improved tack-holder and carpet-stretcher



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l' J. E. sTURDYQor AUGUSTA, VMAINE.

Letters Patent No. 84,717, dated December 8, 1868.

IMPRovED TACK-Homan AND cARPET-sTRnTc-EER The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the To all whom it may concern;

Be it known 'that I, J E. STURDY, of Augusta, in the county of Kennebec, and State of Maine, have invented a new and improved Tack-Holder and Carpet- Stretcher; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specication..

This invention relates to a new and useful implement to be used in putting down carpets, whereby that laborions and diiicult operation is rendered comparatively easy; and

It consists in forming a stretcher (with the ordinary serrated edge or teeth for taking hold of the carpet) in two parts, jointed together, and held in Contact by an elastic sprin g, by which a tack may be held for driving, as I will proceed to describe.

The drawing represents a perspective view; of the article. l

A is the handle. y

B is the shank, with teeth formed in the blade, which blade is made in two parts, C and D, as seen in the drawing. I

v These'two parts are jointed together by a pin-joint at e.

F is au elastic spring, which is confinedin recesses in the two parts of the blade, as seen in the drawing, by which the parts are drawn together.

Near the end or teeth there is a small orifice, as seen at i, in which a tack is inserted, as seenin red.

This tack-orifice is of triangular form, and so arranged that when the tack is started through the carpet and into the oor, the stretcher'can be withdrawn from it.

The spring allows the two parts Ito open suliciently forthis purpose. Y The tack is stuck into the orice before inserting the teeth in the carpet. Then the teeth arepushed in and the carpet stretched, when a rap with the hammer fixes ,the tack in the floor, so that the stretcher can be withdrawn.

By this method the trouble of holding the tack with the lingers, and keeping the carpet stretched at the same time, as in the ordinary way, is avoided.

The advantages of this arrangement must be obvious to all.

I am aware that patents have been heretofore granted E. Mosman, January 2, 1866, F. Ashley, October 16, 1866, and G. O. Dunlap, February 12, 1867, for implements intended forobj ects similar to those which I have in view; but the devices themselves are essentially different from the one which I am desirous of seeming byu Letters Patent.

In all of the cases named, the tack-holder forms no part of the carpet-stretcher, the latter being formed in one solid piece.

In Mosmans, the tack-holder is composed of a set of auxiliary jaws combined with a spring, the whole being an accessory device attached tothe carpet-stretcher.

The same remark will apply to the tack-holder and carpet-stretcher oi Ashley, there being, however, but one auxiliary jaw, combined with a'sprng.

Dunlaps diiiers in no essential respect from the latter, so far as the jaw is concerned, save that the jaw itself is a spring also.

' In all these cases the tack-holding vdevice is but an auxiliary attachment to the carpetstretcher, and forms an additional mechanism, which adds to the cost of the implement, and renders it, to a certain extent, complicated and unwieldy.

On the other hand, I reduce the number of parts required,vto form the instrument, and, by making the carpet-stretcher in two parts, hinged together s0 as to move towards or from each other'in the same plane, I am enabled to place the tack-holding notch in either of the contiguous edges of the jaws, andthe implement,

and holds together, with a yielding pressure, the jaws, is then complete, and answers perfectly the double purpose for which it is designed.

In order to prevent all danger ofthe jaws being forced turned inwards or towards the centre, so that any press l ure will tend only to force the jaws more firmly together.

Having thus described my invention, I

I claim as new, and desire -to secure by Letters 1 Patent'- As a new article of manufacture, a combined carpetstretcher and tack-holder, composed of two hinged jaws, notched upon either pr bothvoftheir contiguous edges, so as to receive and hold the tack, and having their carpet-stretching'teeth turned inwardly or towards the centre, as set forth, either without or in combination with a spring of vulcanized rubber,- or its equivalent, for holding said jaws together, substantially as and for the purposes described.

The above specification of my invention signed by me, this 2d day of March, 1868.

Witnesses:

R. M. MANSUB, A. J. LANE.

J. E. sTURDr.v

with the addition of the rubber spring, which encircles apart when used for stretching carpet-s, their teeth are f 

